Nursing staff back injuries: Prevalence and costs in long term care facilities

Jiska Cohen-Mansfield*, William J. Culpepper, Patricia Carter

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

40 Scopus citations

Abstract

This report describes the period prevalence and costs of back injuries to nursing staff of long term care facilities in comparison to nurses employed industry wide and to other occupations industry wide. The period prevalence of back injuries to nursing staff in long term care facilities was highest for nurse aides, followed by LPNs and then RNs. Nurses (combined) had a period prevalence of back injuries nearly 1.5 times higher than all employees of long term care facilities and 6 times higher than all occupations combined industry wide. Within long term care facilities, nurses sustaining back injuries were younger and had been employed for a shorter period of time than the average for all nurses employed in long term care facilities. Back injuries accounted for more than half of the indemnity and medical costs for all injuries incurred in nursing homes and industry wide. The findings highlight the need for better prevention and rehabilitation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9-17
Number of pages9
JournalAAOHN Journal
Volume44
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1996
Externally publishedYes

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